Comparison between Proctored and Unproctored Tests

The personnel at supervisory positions generally perform his or her examinations task through proctored test or unproctored test. The unproctored one provides employees greater flexibility and also reduces cost as compared to proctored one but the main problem with the earlier one is that it raises a number of concerns, cheating is major among them. The research shows that both the types have very few differences. It has been observed that the individual working with proctored setting generally perform slightly better.

In a recent research, it was compared that how a candidate performed in a proctored and unproctored environment, and in every case, the average score in unproctored exam was lower than that of proctoredexam. Which is just opposite to the concern that individual in an unproctored environment would have an advantage and potentially cheat the system. Whereas for the proctored one it is a hypothesis that it is freer from distraction and take assessment more seriously and as a result perform better.

The tests such as test of knowledge where someone could research the answer and are considered to be the most problematic ones are best administered in a proctored environment.

After a lot of tests of both types, it has been observed that there are very few differences in term of performance, at least with regards to self-report type assessment, such as bio-data. Adding a strict timer can reduce the impact of cheating too. Thus, on a concluding, it can be said that the test proctoring is not outdated one. For test such as which focuses on knowledge and can be researched then proctoring is important and probably necessary.

The Main Differences

  • As the term means proctored means someone is present while the candidate is taking the assessment thus proctored test can be administered on a computer or using paper and pencil whereas non- proctored tests are unsupervised. It can be an online assessment that a candidate takes from home.
  • Proctored assessments are the optimal administration format whereas non proctored assessments are the remote assessment and a proctor is not needed.
  • In a proctoredexam, you can control the environment and eliminate the risk of distraction whereas, in a non-proctored, there is always a chance that the candidate solicited outside help. Because of this it is highly recommended to follow up a non- proctored test with a pr5octored version to confirm the result.

Which Test Should One Use?

The answer to the question that which type of test should be used when totally depends upon what type of test one is administrating. If one is administrating personality integrity or behavioral reliability, it becomes very difficult to cheat and the results are generally accurate. But, on the other hand, if one is administrating a basic skill or cognitive ability test where all answers can be ascertained without the assistance of test publisher, one needs to be more vigilant. This is where the outside help could affect accuracy of the result. To ensure that the results are the representative of the candidate’s true ability, it is best to test passing them again in the proctored environment.